Arsenal’s head coach, Mikel Arteta, has reportedly put an end to the long-standing debate over who is the greatest football player of all time, between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
For many years, both Messi and Ronaldo have consistently delivered top-tier performances in the global football arena.
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Following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a significant number of enthusiasts have crowned Messi as the ultimate football legend, particularly after his pivotal role in leading Argentina to triumph.
Nonetheless, the legion of Ronaldo supporters remain steadfast, championing the achievements of their favored Portuguese star, ensuring that the conversation continues.
In a recent dialogue with Sky Sports, Arteta didn’t hold back in his admiration for Messi, highlighting him as his most enjoyable player to observe in action.
He said: “It’s always been Lionel Messi. For my 3 sons it’s exactly the same. We have been really lucky to have the opportunity to experience the best player of all time. For me, he is the greatest of all time.”
Arteta is at the helm of Arsenal’s quest to ascend to the pinnacle of English football, following their near miss of the Premier League crown in the previous campaign.
Yet, their aspirations suffered a setback this past Sunday when they experienced a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa, putting a dent in their Premier League ambitions.
Speaking after the game, he said: “We had one of the best performances in the first half that we had this season by far against a really good team, it should have been three or four or more. It didn’t happen in the second half, momentum shifted, we could not control and generate what we did in the first half.
“We struggled, we conceded two very poor goals and we lost the game so congratulations to the opponent and now is the moment to stand up as a leader, as a character to make yourself count because when you win and win and win and win for four months, it’s very simple to do it. The moment is now.”
Arteta added: “We don’t have any other solutions, if you want to win championships, if you want to be there in the Champions League when you have these moments, you have to stand up. If not then that means you don’t have quality that is very necessary and right now is a big test for us.”
Arsenal is set to return to the fray on Wednesday evening for the decisive second leg of their Champions League quarter-final encounter against Bayern Munich.
